Harford Co. Foster Care Kids Forced To Live Away From Hometowns Due To Provider Shortage

HARFORD COUNTY, MD —Upwards of 60 Harford County children have had to be placed with foster care providers far away from their hometowns because the foster care system in Maryland faces critical shortages, experts say.

The Arc Northern Chesapeake has spearheaded a campaign to find foster parents for Maryland kids. Members of the Arc Northern Chesapeake region say there are 208 children in foster care in Harford County. But, there's only space for 144, according to WJZ.

A report released May 11, “Fostering Youth Transitions 2023,” outlined concerns that systems are failing to find permanent placements for young people in foster care who experience lower rates of educational attainment and full-time employment than their peers, according to Maryland Matters.

About 27 percent of Black youth in Maryland remained in foster care on their 19th birthday in 2016. That percentage jumped to 57 percent in 2021, the report disclosed.

Robin Tiller and her husband, John, told WJZ that signing up to be foster parents was the best decision they ever made. They are foster parents to two brothers and have five biological children.

"They are my babies and I love them dearly," Robin Tiller said.

"When they knocked on the door and they looked at us, and we looked at them, I just saw joy that these boys are going to be taken care of," John Tiller said. "These kids need us. These kids are lovable. Please, if you can, please foster care.

"Keeping kids in their own communities often helps them, especially during times of tough transitions, like being removed from their home," said Steve Acerno, director of Treatment Foster Care at Arc NRC.

To learn about being a foster care provider in Maryland, visit https://arcncr.org/choosetofos...

Read more about the need for more foster care providers in Harford County at WJZ